Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1887-11-10
WASHINGTON.



synonymous with the word govern
ment, we so seldom even think of it
as n commercial or manufacturing
center 1t has none. 1t always has
been, and it is now, a governmental
machine with political tendencies
whose color varies with the majority
of votes cast in the United States.
Yet il is an interesting locality, for
the great men of our country have
all had some association with this
city of "magniiicent distances.
Every celebrated statesman has been
connected by Office, plans, joke or
romance to this hub of the United
States. One can walk the pavemeuts
of the Capitol or the broad avenues
of the street with memories of old
Jcffersonian simplicity or modern
Californian millionaire officials.
What a variety of life has the in
habitants of this city seen. rbe
Government moved its place Of bus
mess from Philadelphia in 1900.
Major L'Enfant was then reeog
mzed architect and civil engineer
He was fairly we'll known through
out the county, had been a revuu-
tionary soldier, aud was 10 fine
favor with Washington at the time
the city was plated. Major LEN
FAINT seems To have shown Washing
ton his shrewdist sagacity when he
suggested in his plat of the future
city that the Capitol aud executive
mansion should be mile and a
quarter apart SO that it would check
the Congressman and other officials
in making too many friendly calls
on the President while resting in
the serenity Of the "White house
mansion" Many architects follow
ed Major LEnfant but nearly all,
like hun, becoming in i'll favor with
succeeding commissioners, had their
heads officially cut off. Each CON
mission of building thought they
could present the best architect aud
thus the changes. la those days
much of the style and ornament Of
the Capitol was due TO Jefferson no
supervised it in his own person.
Jefferson was very simple il bis
manner OF living. Though he had
seen the kings aud queens Of Europ,
with all their pomp Of equipage ano
the red tape dash of royalty, these
things did not move him in bis sim
pie manners and rustic life. When
he was elected President he was the
least commercial of all mel. He
rode his horse down TO the capitol,
dismoHnted, Tied him, went IN aud
delivered his FIFTEEN minute inau-
gural and departed AS simple as he
came, to the astonishment Of the
by-standers. Inaugural addresses
are now about two hours long with
a dozen thousand words. But the
bigger the cou1try the bigger the
/ inaugural Of course. How, Ont how
long viii they be when Canada is
annexed.
Jefferson was very rare combl-
nation Of man. He was very
learned and at the same time very
practical, such excellent combina
uons exist az rarely among men ~
the births of Websters OF Franklins
4 lie commanded immense fees AS q
lawyer with increasing power as a
man.
His high fees were only equaled
N modern days by the enormous
fees Of Conkhn and Irumbul IL,
imported Italian scuptors to orna
ment the capitol and would dictate
to them himself
Jefferson called the senate to or
/ der rs years ago witb only ~ sena
tors, now we have IS. Then con
gressmen we're obliged to lodge %
Georgetown aud ride over on horse
back or The stage, as the city had nc
hotels or boarding houses. Az tht'
tune Ben Perey PoJre says, thai
near The Senate was q barber shol
containing wigs which some Of tht
Senators wore. They would yisil
tue barber shop IN the morning and
exchange the uukempt wig for one
they bad lelt the night before 70 be
combed aud powdered, oiled ano
brushed for the days wear. II
lhose days history tells u- that th'
most eccentric man aud deDater wa
Jonu Randolph. he dressed Il
4 Virginia houe.-pun. He worr hi'
pants ia pair Of while-tsppea
boots, with spurs that jiugled as n'
walked through the Senate. lie hac
several dogs with him at mis- desk
He wore "a Tar cap and carried a cane
when he entered the Senate in TIE
above style, az be fode from hi'
boarding house in Georgetown. lie
would listen to the debate and If ht
had auy interest would jump up and
speak At the first opportunity, liz
Language as all know was sarcastic
aud witty. He was a brilliant mar
a